Home > Pope Nicholas III
Nicholas III, né Giovanni Gaetano Orsini (ca. 1216 - August 22, 1280), pope from November 25, 1277 to his death in 1280, was a Roman nobleman who had served under eight popes, been made cardinal-deacon of St Nicola in carcere Tulliano by Pope Innocent IV, protector of the Franciscans by Pope Alexander IV, inquisitor-general by Pope Urban IV, and succeeded Pope John XXI, largely through family influence, after a six-months' vacancy in the Holy See. His brief pontificate was marked by several important events. A born politician, he greatly strengthened the papal position in Italy. He concluded a concordat with Rudolph I of Habsburg in May 1278Events August 26 Ladislaus IV of Hungary and Rudolph I of Germany defeat the Bohemians in the Battle of Marchfield. A pareage establishes joint Spanish/French suzerainty in Andorra. John Peckham succeeds Richard Kilwardby as archbishop of Canterbury, Kilw, by which the Romagna and the exarchate of RavennaFor other places named Ravenna, see Ravenna (disambiguation). Ravenna is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, population 134,631 (2001). The city is inland, but is connected to the Adriatic Sea by a canal. Ravenna once served as the seat of the R were guaranteed to the pope; and in July he issued an epoch-making constitution for the government of Rome, which forbade foreigners taking civil office. Nicholas issued the bull Exiit on 14 August 1279Events Battle of Yamen. Mongolian Yuan Dynasty annihilated the last fleet of Chinese Song Dynasty and thus exterminated the Song Dynasty D. Diniz becomes king of Portugal King Edward I of England bans land grants to the church. A dispute with the Archbish to settle the strife within the Franciscan order between the parties of strict and loose observance. He repaired the Lateran palace and the VaticanThe State of the City of the Vatican (commonly known also as Vatican City) is the smallest independent country in the world (both in area and in population), a landlocked enclave surrounded by the city of Rome in Italy. The Vatican is the home of the Pope at enormous cost, and erected a beautiful country house at Soriano near ViterboViterbo is a comune (township) in the Lazio region of central Italy, and the capital of Viterbo province, 42°25 12°06E, at 326 m (1070 ft) above sea-level. It is approximately 100 kilometers (60 mi) north of Rome. It was once presumed to have been founded. Nicholas, though a man of learning noted for his strength of character, brought just reproach on himself for his efforts to found principalities for his nephews and other relations. He died from a stroke of apoplexy. This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. 1911 Britannica
Dante in The Inferno from The Divine Comedy talked briefly to Pope Nicholas III, who was condemned to spend eternity in the Eighth Circle, Third Bolgia of Hell, reserved for Simoniacs.
Nicholas 3
